Folding chair



2 Sheets-Sheet L J. E. WAKEFIELD.

Folding Chairs.

Patented Aug, 24,1880.

N.FETERS. FHDTO-LITHDGRAPHEFI. WASHINGTON. n c

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. E. WAKEFIELD. Folding Chairs No. 231,513. Patented Aug. 24,1880.

N. PETERS. FHOTOJJTHOGRAPRER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. WAKEFIELD, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,513, dated August 24, 1880.

Application filed October 27, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN E. WAKEFIELD, of Worcester, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

In Letters Patent N 0. 208,861 a chair is shown in which the leg-frames are hinged together at their upper ends, and the seat and back are pivoted together, and the seat is supported by pivots on the leg-frames. In this chair the back is liable to swingforward upon the seat when moved.

My present invention is an improvement upon the same, the object of which is to stop the forward movement of the chair-back, and at the same time allow the chair to be rocked back and forth upon the seat-pivots.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of the chair. Fig. 2 is an elevation partially in section, and Fig. 3 is a side view of the chair as partly folded.

The legs are composed of front and back frames, the front legs, a a, being united by the rungs or stretchers b in one frame, and the back legs, a 0, being united by the rungs or stretchers d in the other frame. The hingeplates 8 are securely attached by screws or rivets 210 the front legs, a, and receive be tween them theupper ends of the back legs, 0 c, and f are the pivots on which the legframes can be folded toward each other. The upper ends of the legs bearing against each other when the chair is unfolded for use prevents the leg-frames spreading apart at the lower ends. These parts are similar to those in aforesaid patent. The seat-frame g is connected at the back corners by the hinges t to the lower angles of the back-frame 70.

I make use of pivots 0, projecting from the hinge-plates and passing into or through the seat-frame, and on these pivots t the seat and back can be rocked or oscillated, the backward movement being arrested when the seatframe comes into contact with the upper rung, d, of the back leg-frame. There are springs that tend to raise the back and tilt the seat forward into the normal position by lifting the back of the seat away from the rung 0?. These springs are, by preference, helical, as at l, the same being around the pivots, one end being against or connected to the front leg-frame, and the other end acting against the seatframe.

I make use of hinged arm-pieces m, pivoted at the back ends at n to the back, and con nected near their front ends to the stop-bars? by the pivots or hinges s, and these bars rare pivoted to the seat at t, and their lower ends pass below the seat and rest in bearings 10, that project inwardly at the upper parts of the front legs at or near the hinge-plates, and are by preference l -shaped.

It is now to be understood that in the unfolded position the lower ends of the stop-bars rrest in the bearings u, and hence that the stop-bars and arms prevent the back of the chair moving forward, and render the whole chair sufficiently rigid to allow of its being moved from place to place in a room. The chair, however, can be rocked or oscillated by the occupant when leaning back.

In order to fold the chair it is necessary to lift the front of the seat until the lower ends of the stop-bars r are clear from the hearings to; then the back of the chair is folded forwardly upon the seat, the arm-pieces double together, and the seat and leg frames are then folded, as shown in Fig. 3.

I claim as my invention-- The combination, with the pivoted seat and hinged back, of the arm-pieces m, stop-bars r, pivoted to the arm-pieces and to the seat, and the bearings u upon the base of the chair, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 24th day of October, A. D. 1879.

JOHN E. WAKEFIELD.

Witnesses WILLIAM G. MOTT, GEO. T. PINOKNEY. 

